Installation providing movement of venetian blind away from window



Aug. 13, 1957 J. A. ANDERLE INSTALLATION PROVIDING novezumoF VENETIAN BLIND um FROM wmnow 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed may 24, 1954 .a. awa,... ii,

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INVENTOR JOSEPH A. ANDERLE FIG. 2

His ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Hay 24, 1954 FIG. 7

mvENroR JOSEPH A. ANDERLE Patented Aug. 13, 1957 INSTALLATION PROVIDING MOVEMENT or VENETIAN BLIND AWAY FROM WINDOW Joseph A. Anderle, Westerleigh, N. Y., assigner to Lorentzen Hardware Mfg. Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 24, 1954, Serial No. 431,669

3 Claims. (Cl. 16u-167) This invention relates to a multiposition bracket for supporting a curtain, and to the organization of such bracket and curtain. By curtain is meant a hanging lightand/or air-obstructing structure, usually mounted at an aperture such as a window; the term includes, among others, extensible structures such as roller shades, screens of the bottom-roll, bamboo-Slat type, and Venetian blinds.

Curtains associated with vertical building apertures having either no closure, such as an opening in a porch side wall, or a closure such as a windowV sash which travels in a vertical path, can obviously be positioned in a fixed vertical plane with respect to the aperture. Some aperture closures such as window sashes, however, pivot about either a horizontal or a vertical axis so that all or a part of the window sash protrudes into the room a substantial distance when the sash is open. A conventionally mounted extensible curtain at such an aperture cannot therefore be lowered when the window sash is in open position.

The present invention provides a bracket particularly for use in mounting a curtain at an aperture having a closure member at least a part of which is movable a substantial distance into the room. The bracket of the invention, which is ordinarily employed in multiple, is of such construction as stably to support the curtain in a first terminal position in a first vertical plane close to the aperture when the closure member for the aperture is in closed position, and to allow movement of the curtain as a whole into a stable substantially aperture-covering second terminal position in a second vertical plane, appreciably spaced from the aperture, when the closure member is to be swung into the room. The construction of the bracket is such that the curtain may readily be moved by one standing on the oor from the first to the second terminal position, or vice versa, as by pulling in the proper direction the bottom of the extended curtain itself or the one or more depending cords conventionally associated with the curtain. The two or more of the brackets of the invention supporting the curtain are preferably so constructed and arranged with respect to the curtain that normal pulling of the one or more depending cords, such as the side-wise pull on the lift-cord loop of a Venetian blind required, for example, to lock the cords, does not tend to move the blind out ot' the plane of either of its two terminal positions. The bracket is provided with means whereby a curtain may quickly and easily be mounted upon it and detached therefrom when desired.

My invention is clearly delined in the appended claims. In the claims, as well as in the description, parts are at times identified by specific names for clarity and convenience, but such nomenclature is to be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with the context and with the concept of my invention as distinguished from the pertinent prior art. The best mode in which l have contemplated carrying out my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifcation, in which:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a Venetian blind at a Window having an inwardly tilting window sash, the blind being shown in full lines in its trst terminal position close to the window frame, in which it covers the window when the sash is closed. The figure shows, in dot and dash lines, the window sash in its inwardly tilted open position, a fragment of the blind in its second terminal position covering the open window being shown in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a view in plan of the window frame, the Venetian blind, and the mounting brackets for the blind, the blind being shown in full lines in its first terminal position close to the window frame and in dot and dash lines in its second terminal position appreciably spaced from the window frame.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the mounting bracket of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a Venetian blind headbar-engaging fitting employed with the mounting bracket.

Fig. 5 is a somewhat simplified exploded view in perspective of the organization of the Venetian blind and its mounting brackets illustrating the manner of assembly of the blind of the brackets, parts of the blind such as the lift cords and tilt cords being omitted.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in plan of one bracket with the Venetian blind mounted thereby in its outer, second terminal position, the blind-retaining latch on the fitting-engaging member of the bracket being shown in full lines in its closed position and in dot and dash lines in its open position.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section through the fitting-engaging member and the head bar of the blind, parts of the blind within the head bar being omitted, the section being taken generally along the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

The invention has among its objects the provision of a curtain-mounting bracket which stably retains the curtain in a plurality of wall-opening-covering positions at different distances from the opening.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bracket of the type indicated which selectively stably retains the curtain at a rst terminal wali-opening-covering position close to the opening and at a second terminal position, substantially covering the wall opening, which is appreciably spaced from the opening.

Other objects of the invention are to provide such bracket which readily allows the spacing of the curtain from the wall opening to be changed by pulling sidewardly on the bottom of the extended curtain or on the one or more cords depending from the curtain, the bracket stably retaining the curtain in the selected terminal position during the ordinary pulling of such cord or cords incidental to normal operation of the curtain; to provide in such bracket means for engaging the top or head-bar portion of the curtain to allow the ready mounting of the curtain upon, and its detachment from, the bracket; and to provide an organization of a curtain with a plurality of supporting brackets which allows the curtain to be stably retained in a plurality of wall-opening-covering positions at different distances from the wall opening.

Other objects such as those relating to economies of manufacture and use will become apparent in the following description.

In Figs. l and 2 there is shown an elevated window opening 11 in the side wall 15 of a room adjacent the ceiling 16 and near the end wall 1'7. The opening is provided with a frame l2, within which there fits a window sash. The sash is hinged at its bottom to swing about a horizontal axis from the closed position 14, shown in full lines, inwardly to the open position 14', shown in dot and dash lines, in which its upper inner edge lies inwardly of wall 15 and frame 12 along the line A-A (Figs. 1 and 2). Characters designating the curtain at the window and the supporting brackets for the curtain, as shown in Figs. l and 2, are also unprimed when referring to the curtain in its full-line position close to the window opening and primed when designating the curtain in its dot-and-dashline position spaced from the window opening.

The curtain in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is a Venetian blind of the enclosed-head-bar type generally shown in Nelson Patent No. 2,587,752. The Venetian blind has a channel-shaped head bar 19 from the tape rockers 26 of which hang the spaced ladder tapes 22. The slats 21 rest on the ladders of the tapes. A bottom bar 20, heavier than a slat, is connected to the bottom of the tapes so as to maintain the blind substantially in a plane when it is fully extended as shown in Fig. l.

Reeved through the header-bar channel is a lift cord 24, the two branches of the cord extending vertically in runs (not shown) from the head bar, through holes in the slats and between the staggered ladders of the ladder tapes, to the bottom bar to which they are connected. The intermediate portion of the lift cord is formed into a portion manipulated to raise or lower the blind. Specifically, such portion is a loop 23, shown at the righthand end of the blind. The blind is raised by pulling loop 23 downwardly, the branches of the lift cord functioning to raise the bottom bar which then progressively collects the slats upon it. The lift cord is retained in longitudinally adjusted position by means of the lift-cord lock 30 within the head-bar channel (Fig. 2). The tape rockers 26 are mounted on a tilt rod 27 which is oscillated by the tilting mechanism 29, over the pulley of which runs the tilt cord. The depending branches 25 of the tilt cord hang from the left-hand end of the head bar as it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The Venetian blind 10 is supported by two spaced similarly disposed mounting brackets 31, the main supporting member 32 of each of which is affixed to the ceiling. Each bracket has an arm 34 pivoted to member 32 to swing about a vertical axis between the full-line position to the dot-and-dash-line position. An L-shaped member 35 is mounted on the other end of arm 34 to pivot about a vertical axis with respect thereto. Member 35 is connected to the head bar channel of the blind, through the medium of a fitting 36, in a manner to be described. As a result of the construction thus preliminarily described, the head bar 19, and thus the blind as a whole, is supported from the ceiling of the room and is free to be moved, in the path indicated by the curved arrows in Figs. l and 2, from a rst terminal position in which the blind lies close to, aligned with, and parallel to the window opening to a second terminal position appreciably spaced from, aligned with, and parallel to the opening. Throughout the range of movement of the blind, its head bar remains parallel to its original position. In the embodiment shown` the arms 34 of the brackets swing through slightly more than 180 from one terminal position to the other. The second terminal position of the blind is spaced from the window frame sutiiciently for all parts of the blind in such position to lie inwardly of the room with respect to the vertical plane containing line A-A, as shown in Fig. 2. When the blind lies in its second terminal position, therefore, the blind may be raised or lowered without any interference from the inwardly tilted, open window sash.

The main Supporting member 32, shown more clearly in Fig. 3, is in the form of a folded plate having an upper, larger. plate portion 37. Portion 37 is attached to the ceiling or other suitably positioned horizontal support inwardly of and above the window opening by screws extending through the four holes 39, 40 in portion 37. The lower smaller portion 41 of member 32 lies parallel to and spaced from portion 37, to which it is connected by the fold 42. Large holes 44 in portion 41 overlie the holes 40, to provide access to the screws therein by a screw driver. The arm 34 is pivotally connected to member 32 by the headed pivot pin 45 extending from til) portion 37, through a first end of arm 34, and through portion 41. The arrn 34 is free to pivot about pin 45 from the position in which it contacts one inner edge of fold 42 (the full-line position in Fig. 2) to the position in which it contacts the other inner edge of fold 42 (the dotanddashline position in Fig. 2). These edges of the fold 42 form positive stops for the arms 34, the head bar 19 being stopped from further travel to the left when it is in the full-line position of Figs. l and 2 and also when it is the dot-and-dash-line position of these figures.

The preferred construction of members 35 and 36 is shown in detail in Figs. 3, 5, et seq. The L-shaped member 35 lies beneath (Fig. l) arm 34 and is attached to the arm by the pivot pin 47. From the rear (Fig. 5) of portion 46 there dep-ends the vertical plate portion 50. Portions 46 and 50 are of similar shallow channel shape. The longitudinal edge flanges on portion 46, designated 49, are received in the fitting 36, attached to the top of the head-bar channel, in the manner indicated in Fig. 5, thereby to support the head bar.

The fitting 36, which is similar in some details to that shown in Latham Patent No. 2,618,328, has a main fiat plate portion S2. Along the side edges of portion 52 there are vertical flanges which have inwardly facing longitudinal channels 51 on their tops. Such channels are made snugly to receive within them the side anges 49 of member 35. At the ends of member 36 there are formations which lockingly engage with the round, inwardly turned, open marginal beads 53, 53 formed along the upper edges of the head-bar channel 19. The ends of plate S2 are bent downwardly and recurved upwardly in end zones 54. Zones 54 terminate in angularly extending anges 58, best seen in Figs. 4 and 7, which have end prongs chordally extending across the inside of the beads 53. The ends of the vertical side fianges on plate 52 terminate in horizontally projecting fingers which engage the confronting outer surfaces of beads 53 at the top of the channel 19, as shown in Fig. 7.

The channels 51, 51 on fitting 36 span the space between the beads 53, 53 of the head-bar channel when the fitting is in applied position. Fitting 36 is applied to the head-bar channel by placing the fitting transversely within the channel 19 and pulling upwardly by finger pressure upon the member 36. The end formations 54 of member 36 provide sufiicient resiliency to permit the flanges 58 to enter the open beads 53, S3 of the headbar channel and to assume a position substantially diametrically across the interior of the beads, as shown in Fig. 7. At the same time, the fingers 55 will have been slid upwardly against the outer surfaces of beads 53, 53. The interaction of members 58 and 55 with the beads of the channel is such as strongly to brace the upper edges of the channel and to prevent withdrawal of the member 36 in an upward direction with respect to the channel.

The organization of the Venetian blind and its supporting brackets is quickly and easily installed. The main supporting members 32 of the brackets (with their attached arms 34 and members 35), are screwed to the ceiling or other suitable horizontal support inwardly of and above the wall opening. The members 32 are preferably so placed that the brackets are equidistant from the respective ends of the head-bar channel 19; members 32 are also positioned so that the head bar, and thus the blind as a whole, is close to and in alignment with the wall opening when the head bar is in its first terminal position.

The arms 34 and members 35 are then swung inwardly away from the wall opening to the position shown in Fig. 5. A Venetian blind, with fittings 36 applied to its head-bar channel 19 at the correct positions longitudinally thereof, is then presented to the brackets in the manner shown in Fig. 5. The head bar is advanced toward the brackets to cause flanges 49 of members 35 to enter the channels 51 of the respective fittings 36.

Such travel of the head bar is continued until the head bar contacts the vertical edge ilanges on the depending portion 50 of member 35.

When so mounted, the head bar is securely and stably held by the members 35 of the brackets, particularly when flanges 49 are fairly tightly received in channels 51. In some instances, however, it may be desired positively to lock the fittings 36 on the members 35. A lock for this purpose is shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6, and 7.

Mounted to swing horizontally beneath the central part of horizontal plate 46 of member 35 and between the depending marginal flanges thereon is a latch member 56. Member 56 has an arm S7 pivotally connected at one end to plate 46 by pivot pin 59. The other end of the latch member carries a hooklike transverse projection 60 of such length that when the latch is in inoperative position, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6, it lies wholly between the depending marginal flanges on plate 46, thus not interfering with the insertion of the flanges 49 on member 35 into the channels 51 on fitting 36. After member 35 has thus been fully engaged with xture 36, the latch member 56 may be swung laterally to cause the projection 60 to overiie the end of the confronting channel 51, thereby positively preventing the withdrawal of fixture 36 from member 35. A hole for receiving a pointed latch-manipulating device such as a nail is provided in the outer end of projection 60 to allow the latch member readily to be swung to either its operative or inoperative position. An upwardly pressed rounded proiection or dimple 61 is provided on arm 57 of the latch member, such projection resiliently snapping into the hole 62 in plate 46 when the latch is in operative position. The latch is thus stably maintained in sach position, but may readily be deliberately moved by swinging it clockwise as it is shown in Fig. 6.

To tilt the slats of the blind the user pulls vertically on the appropriate one of the depending ends 25, ot the tilt cord. Such pull, being normal to the horizontal plane in which the brackets 3l, 3l allow the blind to move, has no tendency to move the blind from any position it may have within its range of movement, including its two terminal positions.

The operation ot the lift cord ol` a conventional Venetion blind to raise or lower the blind requires at one time or another the imposition of a substantial endwise thrust on the cord lock and thus on the head bar of the blind. ln some cord locks, the litt-cord branches are locked by a poll on the depending loop downwardly and angularly away from the blind, and are released by a straight downward pull on the depending loop of the lift cord. ln other cord locks, the lift-cord branches arc locked by a pull on the loop downwardly and angularly toward the blind, the cord branches being released by a straight downward pull on the loop. The blind illustrated herein has a cord lock 39 of the latter type, such cord lock being similar to that shown in Nelson Patent No. 2,631,661. Because the brackets 31 prevent movement of the blind to the left past either ot its two terminal positions, the described locking of the lift-cord branches by the cord lock 30 does not cause displacement of the blind from either of its two terminal positions. The straight downward pull on the lift-cord loop, to release the lift-cord branches, obviously does not displace the blind from any position within its range of movement.

The blind 10 may be moved, as from its first to its second terminal position, by pulling the extended blind itself or one or more of the depending cords of the blind sidcwardly to the right (Fig. l), then inwardly of the room, and then sidewardly to the left. Preferably, the pull is exerted on the tilt-cord branches held together in one hand, since this does not tilt the slats nor alter any extended position which the blind might have. Under some circumstances, however, and in one or more parts of such movement. the lift-cord loop may also be pulled to aid in moving the blind from one terminal position to the other.

l claim:

l. A Venetian blind installation providing for movement of the blind from a window-adjacent vertical plane to a parallel plane located inwardly of the room, said installation comprising: a pair of lixedly-positioned pivots located midway between said vertical planes, a pair of arms each of a length approximately equal to half the distance between the two vertical planes, ends of thc arms being secured by tbc pivots tor horizontal swinging movement of the tree ends of the arms through half circles from one of said vertical planes to the other of said vertical planes, a Venetian blind supported from the free ends of the arms, and means located along the lengths of the arms for receiving the load imposed on the arms by the blind.

2. A Venetian blind installation as in claim l, in which there are two iixedly-mounted littings, each having two horizontal platelike portions in lifted spaced relation one above the other, the lixcdly-positioned pivots being pins extending between thc two platelilte portions of the respective fittings, and the means located along the lengths of the arms for receiving the load imposed on the arms being edge zones of the lower platelike portions.

3. A Venetian blind installation as in claim 2, in which the fittings include a plate that is folded to provide the two platelike portions in fixed spaced relation, the edges of the lower piatelike portions are semicircular, and the tiXedly-positioned pivots are at the centers of the semicircles.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 180,580 Hessels Aug. 1, 1876 1,776,631 Lee Sept. 23, 193() 2,492,867 Johnson Dec. 27, 1949 2,618,328 Latham NOV. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 151,573 Germany May 19, 1904 90,632 Sweden Oct. 26, 1937 

